Who I Am

By: Pete Townshend

Narrated by: Pete Townshend

Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

From the voice of a generation: the most highly anticipated autobiography of the year, and the story of a man who...

• ...wanted The Who to be called The Hair.
• ...wanted to be a sculptor, a journalist, a dancer, and a graphic designer.
• ...became a musician, composer, librettist, fiction writer, literary editor, sailor.
• ...smashed his first guitar onstage, in 1964, by accident.
• ...invented the Marshall stack, feedback, and the concept album.
• ...inspired Jimi Hendrix's pyrotechnical stagecraft.
• ...is partially deaf in his left ear.
• ...stole his windmill guitar playing from Keith Richards.
• ...followed Keith Moon off a hotel balcony into a pool and nearly died.
• ...did too much cocaine and nearly died.
• ...drank too much and nearly died.
• ...detached from his body in an airplane, on LSD, and nearly died.
• ...was embroiled in a tabloid scandal that has dogged him ever since.
• ...planned to write his memoir when he was 21.
• ...published this book at 67.

©2012 Pete Townshend (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers

Brilliant

This and Keefs are my favorite books so far. Pages book is next for me!

Absolutely brilliant!!!

What made the experience of listening to Who I Am the most enjoyable?

This is right up there with Keith Richards' bio. If Mr. Townshend ever wants to stop rocking & rolling, he could very easily lend his voice to other audio books. I would never count The Who as my fav band, or PT as my fav guitar slinger, but this was one well written story, full of insights & life. Enjoyed it immensley. Thank you for writing such a great book.

To My Dear Friend Pete

Dear Pete,

I am writing to let you know how much one of your very recent recordings moved me, and warmed my heart. Of course I am speaking of the audio version of your autobiography, “Who I Am,” read by you. It has such an intimate quality that I started to feel like we were great mates back along the way, had lost touch, bumped into each other in a pub, were thrilled to see each other and catch up. We each enjoyed a tall glass of Cool, Cool Rain, as you told the most fascinating stories of the adventure life has been for you since last we met. Wow!

I enjoyed finding out about your love of sailing, I get it, me too. And the story about how your agent got you to go to Woodstock, lock the door and keys out the window, too funny. Glad he did, because that’s where I first saw you in action – no not at the event –but at a four and a half hour premier screening in downtown Chicago, just five months after the event. This was before the movie, ‘Woodstock’ blew up at the Cannes film festival, launching many bands, along with yours, into the stratosphere.

What’s so wonderful about this day and age is I could go online and look up your performances, and video’s. There’s a version of “Who Are You,” from what looks to be the late 60’s that I showed to my 22 year old son and asked him, “Which band member do you think drove a Lincoln Continental into the outdoor pool at a Holiday Inn and got the band thrown out of the Holiday Inn chain for life.” My son doesn’t know much about the band but in this video it became obvious that the drummer was full of the kind of mischief that would find him behind the wheel of such a prank. It was also obvious to me how you could forgive Keith nearly anything with just one of those impish smiles, even your lose of hearing from using too much explosives to blow up his drums.

I also loved seeing you in action on stage in New York performing for all the first responders. WOW! The power that came through you, the band and the songs was phenomenal. Made me realize how much more you have to offer when sober. You literally destroyed that guitar without having to smash it up. And what you call your “spazz dancing” was more like a fiercely vibrant whirling Sufi prayer rocking the audience, and me watching the video. It was the pure essence of you. Thanks.

Glad the Kennedy center honored the two remaining members, loved how Jack Black got you guys to crack up, and then, did I see a few tears?

And to have found romantic love with a talented and creative partner, well that may be your greatest creation, well let’s be fair, at least one of them.

What I love about you most is your loyalty to friends, your passion for creation, and your ability to forgive others.

Your Friend Kevin

You better love him

If you are a lifelong Who and Pete Townshend fan, you will enjoy hearing Pete go on and on about his life. If not, you might be turned off by his narcissism. He is at his best when he is able to laugh at his own behavior and share his growth. It may be hard to see one’s heroes as flawed human beings like the rest of us, but thank you to Pete and his helpers for getting this story out.

Good

Could use a lot more about his personal life and the lives of his famous friends.

Thank You Pete

I’m so glad Pete wrote this book. He’s weathered many storms. I’m glad to have gone along for the ride. It’s great to here the history.

Who I didn’t really know

This was a nice read. Lots of insights into Pete and the people who influenced him. The man has been to hell and back. Jai Baba!

Great but long winded

Pete Townsend is a very interesting and intelligent person. I like the mat he reads the book in such a way that you feel that you are in the room with him and he’s talking to you in person. You have to have a little patience because he is very detailed and a little long winded but I liked it a lot.

Absorbing and fascinating

What made the experience of listening to Who I Am the most enjoyable?

Listening to Pete Townshend narrate his own biography makes this even more special. He does a great job with it, laughing at times at the absurdity of what was happening in his life. You feel as if he is talking to you personally, musing about the events of his life and sharing them with you in an evening together. Peter's artistic genius is everywhere evident; his portraits of other people in his life, the band and those he met along the way, are generous, gracious and full of depth, color and nuance. For those of us who are fans of the Who, Pete chronicles the events in his life, his thoughts and feelings that led to the writing of some of the most memorable rock songs in history.

What other book might you compare Who I Am to and why?

This is similar to Keith Richard's autobiography, "Life" which is not narrated by him. For those who lived through the '60s, these autobiographies are wonderful to read.

What about Pete Townshend’s performance did you like?

It feels like he is talking to you personally, that we are spending an evening together in his home, while muses and shares memories of his life and the people and experiences he had.

An absolute must for any self-respecting Who fan

If you could sum up Who I Am in three words, what would they be?

Interested, captivated, and delighted

What did you like best about this story?

It was a great treat to have Townshend read this himself. I felt like I got to have the conversation that I always wanted with one of my heroes. The early years, the youthful angst, the crazy 60s, the family man, the abuse, and the passion all combined to paint a human portrait of a great artist.

Which scene was your favorite?

I am fascinated by the post-war era in the UK, and Townshend does a great job of tying together the period before the British Invasion. A bygone period that included Holiday Camps, impoverished children playing in bombed out lots, Skiffle, Mods and Rockers, and a brawling young Roger Daltry. The book is like a great cigar, full of rich flavors and history, and yet still something that you can savor in the moment.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

There should probably be a cute wordplay that use the standard “Who” motif, but I am not sure that this would make a good movie. I suppose "Pete Who?" or some such thing.

Any additional comments?

If you loved Keith Richard's Life, you will love this book as well. If you are a fan of The Who, you will definitely love this book. This said, neither of these are prerequisites, and if you are the type who would simply enjoy listening to a tremendous raconteur cover a fascinating period of history from the front seat, then you will also love this book.